Combined train signal and indicating apparatus.



No. 846,806. PA-TENTED MAR. 5, 1907. W. A. 8; B. S. H. HARRIS.

COMBINED TRAIN SIGNAL AND IND IGATING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED .23,1904. RENEWED JUNE 6, 1906.

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No. 846,306. I PATENTBD MAR. 5, 1907. 4 I W. A. & B. S. H. HARRIS.COMBINED TRAIN SIGNAL AND INDICATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1904. RENEWED JUNE 6, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ANDREW HARRIS AND BENJAMIN SAMUEL HAMPTON HARRIS,

OF GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNORS T THE HARRIS MANU- FACTURINGCOMPANY, OF GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, A CORPO- RATION OF SOUTHCAROLINA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented March 5, 1907.

Application filed March 23, 1904:. Renewed June 6, 1906. Serial No.320,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM ANDREW HARRIs arid BENJAMIN SAMUEL HAMPTONl-lARRIs, citizens of the United States, and

residents of Greenviile, in the county of Greenville and State of SouthCarolina, have made certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedTrain Signal and Indicating Apparatus, of which the following is aspecificatlon.

This invention is an improvement in train signaling apparatus, andespecially in train signaling apparatus designed for use onfreight-trains, which are frequently, if not usually, made of suchlength that the sounds I 5 of the whistle given by the engineer toindicate the reception of signals will not reach back to the caboose,the present invention relating to means whereby the engineer may signalback to the conductor or other trainman in the caboose the signals whichhave been received by the engineer or any other signals desired, theobjects being to establish signaling communication by which signals maybe reliably sent back and forth between the caboose and the engine-cab;and the invention consists in certain novel constructions andcombinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away,illustrating in diagrammatic view our invention applied to afreight-train. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation, partly in section, of theapparatus, showing the operating devices in connection with the signalsand signal-pipe at the opposite ends of the train.

By our invention we employ in connection with an independentsignal-pipe, which has no connection whatever with any of the de- 4vices of the brake or other devices carrying pressure, means at theopposite ends of the train for imparting impulses to the fluid in thesignal-pipe, so that the conductor in the caboose or the engineer in thecab can signal with certainty to the other by means of the impulsespositively imparted to the fluid in the independent signal-pipe, as willbe more fully described hereinafter.

The signal-pipe A is independent of the 5 brake-pipe or other devicecarrying pressure in the train, and the invention can be readily appliedto trains equipped with modern airbrakes as well as to cars which arenot provided with such improved equipment. The signal-pipe sections ofthe cars may be coupled between the cars by suitable coupling sectionsA, and signals B and B are provided, respectively, in the caboose andthe locomotive-cab for operation by impulses imparted to the fluid inthe signal-pipe. These signal devices B may be of the form shown, suchsignal devices forming apart of the subjectmatter of a separateapplication for patent executed and tied of even date herewith, so thatthe signal devices need not be described in detail herein, it beingunderstood that they are arranged and adapted to be positively operatedby impulses imparted to the fluid in the signal-pipe.

Operating devices C and C are provided in the caboose and in thelocomotive-cab for imparting impulses to the fluid in the signalpipe.These operating devices are constructed alike, and each comprises acylinder D, which communicates near one end at D with its respectivesignal and at its other end at D with the signal-pipe section on the caror caboose which supports the particular operating device. It will thusbe noticed that the cylinders D form practically a part of thesignal-pipethat is to say, when the operating device C is operated toroduce an operation of the signal B the cy inder D, in connection withsaid signal B, forms a part of the signal-pipe for transmitting theimpulses to operate such signal B, and vice versaso that when oneoperating device is acted upon by the conductor or the engineer thecylinder D of the other 0 crating device forms a part of a signal-pipefor conducting the impulses to operate the desired signal.

The cylinder D at its end adjacent to its port D, communicating with itssignal, is rovided with a discharge 0 ening or vent D for the escape ofair in rea justing the pistonpresently described to normal position, andthe abutment or stop D for limiting the movement of the piston towardsuch end of the cylinder is so located relatively to the port D that thepiston when moved to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, will passbeyond to the port D, so such port will com municate with the body ofthe cylinder and the piston will operate as a valve or closure for theventing-port D closing such end of the cylinder, except as to itscommunication through the port D with the signal. The piston E operatesin the cylinder D, and when moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 toits opposite position it will force the air in the cylinder 1) outthrough the port D to the body of the signal-pipe, and thus produce amovement or impulse of the air in the signal-pipe which will operate thesignal at the opp osite end of the train, it being understood that whenthe operating device at one end of the train is being operated thepiston E in the cylinder at the opposite end of the train will beadjusted to normal position, in which it closes the vent D" and openscommunication between the port D and the body of the cylinder, as willbe understood from Fig. 2 of the drawing. The piston E has its rod Eprovided with a handle E by which the piston may be moved back and forthin the cylinder, a spring-latch F, as best shown. in Fig. 2, beingprovided for holdin the piston in its normal position, so it will notjar out of such osition by the movement of the train or from othercauses, but will always remain in normal position, except when movedposi tively therefrom by the o, orator, whether he be the engineer orthe conductor.

Now it will be understood that the cylinders at both ends oi the trainform practically a part of the signal-pipe and the signals at both endsof tl e train lorm practically open ends of the signal-pipe, so that inoperation one or more impulses will be imparted to the air in thesignal-pipe by the desired number of operations or the proper piston,and such impulses will give corresponding operations to the signal atthe opposite end of the line of signal-pipe. Thus in operation if thepiston E at one end 01 the signal-pipe be operated once it willpositively produce a single opera tion of the signal device at theopposite end of the train, and each succeeding operation of the pistonwill correspondingly operate the signal device. Thus we secure apositive operation of the signal corresponding to the number of timesthe piston of the operating device is moved in its cylinder, theoperator, whether he be the engineer or the conductor, drawing thepiston quickiy outward and then returning the piston to its normalposition and repeating such operation as many times as may be necessaryin order to transmit the signal desired. In the return movement of thepiston the air in the cylinder will be vented through the discharge 1),which is made sulliciently larger than the port D to permit the escapeof the air without causing any sounding or operation of the signal adjacent to the particular piston being operated.

It will be noticed the port D is beyond the port D, so that the piston Eat one end of the signal-pipe will not operate the signal at the otherend of said pipe until the piston in the cylinder adjacent to the signalto be operated is moved beyond the port D of said cylinder to theposition shown in F 1g. 2 of the drawings.

By the invention it will be noticed that when the engineer receives agiven signal from the caboose he can by operating the piston E in theengine-cab return such signal to the conductor in the caboose, so theconductor will know the engineer has not only received, but has properlyunderstood, the signal which has been transmitted to him, which is animportant factor in preventing accidents in the running of trains.

The signal devices, as before suggested, are included in thesubject-matter of a separate application for patent executed and filedof an even date herewith. It may be well, however, to state that suchsignaling devices include signals arranged for operation successively byimpulses imparted to the air in the signal-pipe, one impulsetransmitting a single signal having a definite meaning, two impulsestransmitting a second signal, and so on, any desired code of signalsbeing employed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is

1. The improvement in signaling apparatus herein described comprisingthe signals at the oppositeends of the line, the cylinders connectingnear one end with said signals, the signal-pipe proper connecting withthe other ends of the cylinders whereby the cylinders form practicallyparts of the signalpipe for conducting impulses from said pipe to theirrespective signals, the ends of the cylinders adjacent to the portscommunicating with the signals having venting or discharge openings, thepistons operating in their cylinders and movable in normal position topoints where they close the ventin or discharge openings in saidcylinders an open communication between the cylinders and the portsleading to their respective signals, the piston-rods and handles andspringlatches for securing the pistons in normal positicn.

2. The combination of the signal-pipe, the signals at the opposite endsof the signal-pipe, and the devices for operating the signals havingcylinders communicating at one end with their respective signals and attheir other ends with the signal-pipe whereby communication between thesignal-pipe and the signals is effected through the respectivecylinders.

3. A signaling apparatus comprising a signal-pipe, a signal or signalsarranged for operation by impulses imparted to the fluid in thesignal-pipe and an operating device having a cylinder communicating atone end with the signal-pipe and at its other end. with and adjacent tosaid end with a port communicating with the signal and the piston in thecylinder and movable to a point beyond the port communicating with thesignal when said piston is adjusted to position to close the venting ordischarge opening of the cylinder and connections between said cylinderand a signal-pipe whereby the piston and cylinder may be operated toproduce impulses in the signal-pipe and the cylindermay b'e utilized asa conduit for the passage of impulses from the signal-pipe to thesignal.

5. A signaling apparatus comprising an independent train-pipe carryingatmospheric pressure, signals and indicators operating in correspondencewith said signals at the opposite ends of and forming open ends at suchopposite ends of the signal-pipe and means for imparting impulses to thefluid in the signal-pipe whereby to operate the signals and indicators.

6. A signaling apparatus comprising a signalpipe, signals at theopposite ends of the pipe and through which cpen communication betwenthe atmosphere and the signalpipe is normally established, indicatorsacting in correspondence with said signals and means for impartingimpulses to the fluid in the signal-pipe for operating the signals andindicators at one or the other end thereof.

7. A signaling apparatus comprising the opposite signals, thesignal-pipe, the cylinders between the signal-pipe and their respectivesignals, the pistons in said cylinders and adjusted normally to positionto open communication between the si nal-pipe and their respectivesignals and t e pistons in said cylinders being adapted for impartingimpulses to the fluid in the signal-pipe for operating the signal at theopposite end of the signal-pipe.

8. In a signaling apparatus an operating device comprising a cylinderhaving a vent or discharge opening at one end and provided near said endwith a port for communication with the signal and at its opposite endwith a port for communication with the signal-pipe and the pistonoperating in said cylinder and movable in normal position to a pointwhere it will close the vent or dischargeopening in the end of thecylinder and will establish communication between the signalport and thebodv of the cylinder.

9. The combination with the signal, and the cylinder having near one enda port communicating with the signal and also having at such end a ventor discharge-port, and provided at its other end with an outlet-port andthe signal-pipe communicating therewith, of the piston operating in thecylinder and movable in normal position to a point where it will closethe vent or discharge-port from the cylinder and open communicationbetween the signal-port and the body of the cylinder, the piston-rod anda latch for holding the piston from accidental displacement from itsnormal position.

WllrLlAlll ANDREW HARRIS.

BENJAMIN SAMUEL HAMPTON HARRIS.

Witnesses:

WM. E. EARLE, Jr., E. M. BLYTHE.

